Total pages in book: 165
Estimated words: 159487 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 797(@200wpm)___ 638(@250wpm)___ 532(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 159487 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 797(@200wpm)___ 638(@250wpm)___ 532(@300wpm)
“It’s a breeding chair,” she said faintly.
“A support chair,” Severin corrected, though his voice sounded strained.
Cassie gave him a look.
“Severin.”
His cheekbones flushed.
“Yes. It is almost certainly a breeding chair,” he admitted in a low voice. “I’ve seen something like it before—the Twin Kindred use it for Bonding with their chosen female.”
Ravik folded his arms over his massive chest and stared at the chair thoughtfully. There was no old panic in his face now—no instant rejection. Just tension, hunger, and a raw kind of determination that made Cassie’s heart flutter.
“This will let us face each other,” he said at last.
Severin looked at him.
“Yes.”
“And Cassie will be between us.”
“Yes,” Severin said again, softer this time.
Ravik swallowed hard.
“Good.”
That one word seemed to echo through the suite.
Cassie looked at him, hardly daring to breathe.
“Good?” she repeated. “Really?”
The big Beast Kindred turned to face her. His golden eyes were still shadowed, but there was no denial in them now—no running, no door slammed shut between him and the truth.
“Yes,” he said. “Good. If I’m going to do this, I’m going to look at both of you while it happens.”
Severin made a low sound and Cassie felt tears sting her eyes again, because apparently she was just going to keep crying for the rest of her life. She tried to blink them back, but one escaped anyway. Ravik saw it at once and crossed the room to kneel beside the bed.
“Don’t cry, baby,” he rumbled.
“I’m not crying because I’m sad,” she whispered. “I’m actually happy.”
His expression softened.
“Good. Because I’m not going anywhere. We’re going to be together—all three of us. I promise.”
Severin came back to the bed too, sitting on her other side. For a moment, none of them said anything. They simply sat together, knowing what came next and letting the weight of it settle over them.
This wasn’t like the bunker, Cassie thought. There was no longer any serious infection—no desperation for the future. This was still for the vaccine, yes. Cassie knew that—they all did. But it was more than that now.
This was choice—a choice for the three of them to be together forever.
Cassie looked from Ravik to Severin and swallowed hard.
“I want this,” she said, before either of them could ask. “I want both of you. I want the Bond if it happens. I don’t want to pretend this is only about the vaccine, because it isn’t. Not for me.”
Severin’s pale blue eyes softened.
“Not for me either,” he said.
Ravik drew in a rough breath.
“I’m still afraid,” he admitted.
Cassie reached for his hand.
“I know.”
“I don’t know how to be this male yet.” His fingers closed around hers, big and warm and trembling slightly. “The one who can take both of you and not care what anyone thinks.”
“Then don’t be him perfectly,” she whispered. “Just be him honestly.”
A sound that was almost a laugh broke out of him.
“Gods, you make it sound so fucking simple.”
“It’s not simple.” Cassie looked from him to Severin. “But it doesn’t have to be impossible—as long as we stick together.”
Severin reached across her and laid his hand over Ravik’s. For a second, the Beast Kindred went still. Then he turned his hand and gripped Severin’s too.
Cassie’s throat tightened—there they were, her two warriors. And they were each other’s too.
“We stop if anyone says stop,” Severin said, his voice low and steady despite the heat in his eyes. “No hesitation. No explanation needed.”
“Yes,” Ravik said at once.
Cassie nodded.
“Yes.”
“And if the Bond starts to form?” Severin asked, looking at Ravik now.
Ravik’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t look away.
“Then we let it.”
The words made the need that was growing inside Cassie surge.
“Then…can we start?” she asked, looking between them. “Because I’m feeling it again—I need you…need you both so much.”
Severin leaned forward and kissed her first. It was soft at the beginning—his mouth warm and careful against hers. Then Ravik’s hand slid into her hair and turned her gently toward him, and his kiss was deeper—rougher and full of all the hunger he had been trying to run from.
When he pulled back, he looked at Severin. The moment stretched like warm honey between them and then Ravik reached for him.
Their kiss was slow at first, almost tentative. Cassie watched, her breath caught in her throat as Ravik’s mouth met Severin’s and the two males finally let themselves have the thing they had been denying for years
Severin made a low sound and leaned into the big Beast Kindred as Ravik’s hand tightened on the back of his neck.
Cassie felt heat roll through her body so intensely that she trembled. She didn’t feel jealous at all—seeing them together didn’t take anything away from her—it made their circle complete.
When they broke apart, both males were breathing hard.
“Well,” Cassie murmured. “I think we’re all warmed up now.”
“Yes, we fucking are,” Ravik growled and Severin nodded.
“Good.” She nodded. “Then let’s try out this chair that Dr. Owl sent us.”